A Dying Willow Tree
by Topher3.0
Summary: This unfinished, depressing story is to show what one little change can do. Even if that change is for good, it could bring twice as much as bad into this cruel world. For instance, if Willow, from BtVS, had been killed by Warren’s bullet, instead of Tara


**_My first attempt at fanfiction. This piece started off great, but never got finished. :( It's a 'What If' story; What would happen if Willow was shot in Seeing Red, instead of Tara? Enjoy!_**

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Our lips touched. Mine where eager for her's. Her's where dieing for mine. My left arm wrapped around her waist. Her arms locked around my neck.

After a few seconds of this position, I backed off. I needed air. My eyes looked into her's. Wow, where they beautiful.

Her back faced the window, mine faced the bed. I would have loved to fall back onto our bed, and relax, but I knew we needed to make it out of the bed room this time.

That's when it happened. There was a bang… A the sound of glass shattering… And there was a soul leaving…

*****

Her head laid in my right palm. Her straight, red hair ran between my fingers. This couldn't be real! There had to be some demon making me see this, making this seem so real. I saw her eyes trying not to roll back into darkness.

"Baby!" I yelled.

I felt the tears flowing down my face. There was blood over my blue, long-sleeved shirt…My lover's blood.

"No, no, no!"

My hair hung down in front of my face. I could see some blood staining my dirty blonde color. The blood must have sprayed all over me when the bullet hit her. It came from no where!

I could sense her aura fading fast…the life leaving her body.

"You're strong, you can make it!" I shouted. There was no sound but my weeping. It seemed like my world was shattering…

"Baby, no, you're too good for this," I told her.

Her eyes found mine. She was trying to find words to say.

"I k-know…I am strong…L-Like an Amazon," She answered.

I knew those would be her last words. The light left her eyes slowly, yet it seemed like a life time. Her eyes fluttered shut after a moment.

There I sat, shedding as many tears as I could. No, she wasn't gone! There had to be a way to save her. I had to call 911.

It took me a while, but I finally let Willow's skull fall from my palm. Her scarlet hair was spread out. Blood was still leaking from the gun womb.

I stood up slowly. I could feel myself shaking all over. My eyes looked down once more. There lay my dead girlfriend. Dead lover. Dead friend. Dead best friend. Dead, just dead.

Willow had been the person to show me my light. She showed me what life really was. I couldn't let her leave, not now.

So many memories were rising in my head. There was the first time I met Willow, in Wicca's class. And the time the Gentlemen were chasing us. That was the first time I saw her use magic, real magic. It was like a dream. We only had one chance to save our lives. Our hands locked together, and right away I felt her power. Of course we made it out of that situation, there was nothing we couldn't handle together.

Not only good memories came back. Bad ones did too, but they were just as important.

Like when I found out Willow had used a spell on me. Or the time I left her. That was a few months ago.

But the best memories were coming from yesterday. We had had such an amazing day. I had missed

Willow's touch for a long time.

I pushed the memories into storage. I didn't want to forget them, I just wanted to get out of this bedroom.

My legs moved as fast as I could, which was not very fast. I almost fell down to cry more, but I was trying to be strong.

Finally, I made it down the stairs to the phone. My hand pulled it up off of the counter, and typed in the numbers,'911'. It rang three times. Each ring seemed so very long. I tapped my fingers on the counter top, waiting for someone to answer…

That's when I heard the sirens. I turned my head to look out the window. There was a ambulance stopping out front.

"911, What is your emergency?" I heard a voice ask inside the phone.

I lowered the phone, and hung up with a click.

"I didn't get a ambulance to come…yet…" I thought.

That's when it hit me.

"Oh. My. God…Buffy! Xander!"

I dropped the phone. Two men hopped out of the ambulance, heading to the back yard, so that's where I headed. I remembered seeing Xander and Buffy talking out back. What had happened? Were they both okay?

I rushed through the back door. What I saw made me feel even worse.

Buffy was laying on the ground. Shot. Just like Willow. Blood was everywhere. But where was Xander?

"Back here!" I heard Xander yell.

Xander came running through the gate. He led the two men to Buffy. He didn't even see me, he was in such a hurry. I didn't blame him one bit.

"There!" He told them.

The men knelt down next to Buffy. I watched them for a moment, yet I didn't see a thing they were doing.

I walked over to Xander.

"W-What…" I tried to croak out something.

Xander turned to look at me. His eyes widened.

"Tara! Oh, my, God. Buffy, she's down…" He told me.

I looked back down at her.

"I see that…but…how?"

"Warren. He came with a gun…looking for some blood."

"Xander…B-Buffy's the lucky one," I cried out.

My arms flew around his neck. I shut my eyes, and fresh tears leaked out. It took him a moment to grasp what I was telling him.

"Oh…"

Xander gasped for air. He had known Willow since…forever.

"Tara…I'm so sorry…"He managed to say quietly.

We both fell to our knees, crying. This had to be the saddest day of my life. Of both of our lives.

"She's alive!" One of the men shouted.

Xander looked over at him.

"She'll be okay?" He said asked them quietly.

"Maybe, but we need to move fast," The other man said.

I heard the two men lift Buffy up onto the 'rolly beds', as I used to call them when I was little. My face was still glued to Xander's shoulder.

I didn't know how he hadn't broken down by now. Was I that weak?

Buffy's presence was in limbo. I could feel her life flickering in, and out of this world. This cruel, sad, lonely, depressing world.

*****

Willow's body had been removed from the house. Buffy was in the hospital, still in the middle of live, or death. Would she make it? I didn't know. If my Willow could go, then I had no doubt a bullet would take the Slayer as well.

I had wanted to go with Willow's body, but Xander told me to stay. He was at the hospital right now. I was waiting for Dawn to get home. I would have to tell her that her sister, and mother figure had been killed. I knew Dawn and I would be weeping together for hours.

The door opened. I wasn't ready for this.

"Tara?" I heard Dawn ask me.

"I'm in here, Dawnie…" I answered her.

Dawn came walking in the living room. Her long, brown hair swished back and forth as she entered. She knew right away there was something wrong.

"What happened?" She asked me.

My head turned to look at her. I felt tears running down my face.

"Dawnie…there's been a death….and someone in the hospital…Buffy a-and Willow…Willow's dead!" I cried out. "Buffy's been shot."

Dawn stood there for a minute. I could see the tears building up in her eyes. Finally she fell to her knees. I jumped to me feet, and ran over to her. My arms wrapped around her. She buried her face in my chest. I laid my chin on her head. There we were, mourning even more.

*****

Dawn laid next to me on the sofa. She had finally fell asleep after crying with me for hours. It was about 2:00 am. I was so tired, yet I couldn't find the energy to stop my tears.

The front door opened. I was expecting to see Xander. Anya came walking in. She had dyed her hair blonde, it looked nice.

"I saw it on the news. I didn't answer Xander's calls…I didn't know…" Anya told me.

I looked up at her. She must have gotten enough strength to come over finally. Anya walked into the living room, and went down onto her knees next to Dawn. She ran her fingers through her hair.

"Thank you for coming…" I spoke.

"I had to…I can't even imagine what she's feeling…what you are feeling…what Xander is feeling…" She said.

A few minutes later Xander came busting through the door. Anya and I looked at him Dawn even opened her eyes.

"It's over…" He said through his tears.

*****

I sat in the bath tub upstairs. It had been almost a week now since the day of Willow, and Buffy's, deaths.

I was staying with Dawn for the time being. She couldn't stay here alone. Anya was probably over here more than Xander. He hadn't called much either. It must have been ten times harder for him to take all of this stuff in.

The water was soothing. My eyes fluttered shut. It seemed as if this was the only place where no bad memories were being held.

My back slid down the side of the tube. I took a breath. The water reached up to my chin...soon I was fully under. I laid my head on the bottom of the tub.

It was so quiet. Under the water seemed like the only way to get the screaming thoughts out of my head. I didn't count how long I was under. I probably didn't have my more breath in me. My eyes opened.

There was a dark cloud spread out in front of my view. My hair. It was much darker while wet. I made out the ceiling through my hair.

I shut my eyes. My body was begging for some air...but I wouldn't rise from under the water. Was this how I

would go? Drown myself in a bath tub? No. Dawnie couldn't be left with another blank in her life.

My head rose out of the water. I opened my mouth, gasping for air. I sat there with my eyes still shut. There were images glued to the back on my eye lids. Willow's body in my lap. Why hadn't it have been me?!

I let out a wimper. Soon I couldn't tell if the water on my face was from the tub, or my tears.

*****

The cold air made me get more goosebemps on my body. I had a towel wrapped around me. My legs carried me into mine and Willow's room-- Or my room, now...

My bangs hung down in front of my face. I hoped Dawn was in bed, I didn't want her to hear me crying.

I got dressed. I had chosen out a pearl white night gown. It came up to about my knees.

I managed to get into bed. The silky sheets felt good. I pressed the back of my head against the back bored.

A few drops of water were squeezed out of my hair as I rested my hair. A thought came into mind.

What has become of the Scoobie Gang?

Giles, in England. I don't think he even knew about the deaths yet. Anya, she was coming around. Xander,... not sure. Dawn, she was just a kid. Willow, dead. Buffy, dead. Spike, I heard he left town. And... me? I was the depressed, lesbian witch.

My head made it's way down to the pillows, and I tried to relax some. It was time to let out some more tears.

*****

My eyes opened as a beam of light made it's way through the curtains. I squinted them for a moment, but

then sat up. I looked down next to the bed. My towel from last night was still laying there.

I lifted the sheets off of me, and swung my legs around. The bottoms of my feet touched the floor. I was hoping that I had dreamed up Willow's death...but I was only hope.

I couldn't stand sleeping in this room. It had too many memories. I thought about sleeping in Buffy's room, but I felt that it wouldn't be right. It would stay Buffy's room, no matter what.

Dawn had left for school. It was 10:00 am. I was wearing one of my favorite dresses. In fact, I had worn it the time Sweet, the singing and dancing demon, showed up. The top of it was a breath taking light blue.

And the lower part was tan, with a bit lighter color under it. It was very...different, and special.

Maybe I should go to the Magic Box later. But first I had to contact Giles. I had no clue what his number was...did he even have a phone? But I knew for a fact that Willow had his e-mail adress. All I had to do was send him a e-mail under Willow's e-mail account.

I found Willows lap top sitting on one of the dinning room chairs. It hadn't been used for a while now. I picked it up. I saw my reflection in it's white mirror... I looked horrible.

*****

My fingers typed as fast as they could. Finally, I finished my e-mail to ''. Giles used hotmail?!

Dear Giles,

It's Tara using Willow's e-mail. I must say, I never knew you were so good at choosing user names. lol

"Did he know what 'lol' meant?" I asked myself in my thoughts.

There has been trouble. Warren, the king nerd, came to the house with a gun. He shot both Willow, and Buffy. ...They both were lost to the gun shots. I am staying with Dawn. Please, please, reply to me. I need someone to talk to... Please.

Love,

Tara

I re-read my message at least twenty times. It was good enough. With a click of the mouse, it was sent. To think it was being mailed over to England, even through the internet, was an amazing concept.

My hands lowered the top half of Willow's lap top, and I shut it. I took in a deep breath. Had I done the right thing, sending a message to Giles? Should Xander have sent it? No, I did the right thing. He had to know.

*****

Now it was 2:00 pm. Time to visit Anya. I left Dawn a note, telling her to come straight to the Magic Box from home.

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**_That's it. No more. xD I stopped writing this story, because I wasn't sure where to take it. I love, love, love what I did write, though. Did you? Tell me in a review!_**


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